West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-02-11

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| is about three feet in length. One
| would imagine this quite enough,
but the bird is not only builder,
but a collector of bric-a-brac, and as
soon as its work of building is fin
ished it collects all kinds of curious
objects-bits of bone, colored glass
from camps, gaudy shells and in
sects-in fact, anything of a strik-
ing nature, so that at some "halls'
over a bushel Of this material is
found. In this hall the sourtship is
carried on, the male following its
mate about, pickipg up the fancy
articles, as if to call her attention to
them; in fact, they are love offer
ings, and evidently intended as an
appeal to her aesthetic tastes.
UNIQUE HALLS or LovE-MAKING.
In the genus Chiamydera there
are four species which build similar
structures for a similar purpose,
though different architecturally.
One of the largest % the work Of G..
Maculata, which is often four feet
long and two in width. Here there
is no flooring, tue 1pds being thrust
into the sand, SO that the tops meet
above, and though the birds are con-
tinually passing and playing with
the curious objects they place there,
these halls of courtship shoul not
be confused with nests, as they are
entirely distinct from them, the lat
ter being built in trees at some dis
tance away.
In the British Museum may be
seen one of the halls of courtship of
the latter species. 1t is marvel of
ingenuity and contains large num-
ber of curious objects. The climax
of this strange phase of bird life is
capped in New Guinea, where bird
has been found that builds for this
purpose a hut and lays out garden
as perfect as human being could.
1t is called the garden bird, and
when the first hut was observed by
an Italian naturalist he could not
but believe that some of the natives
had formed it to deceive him. In
erecting this house, which is also
distinct from the nest, the bird Sc
lects small tree and about two feet
from the ground binds some moss
about it. Against this some twigs
are leaned, the other end having
been thrust into the ground. This
| is done in circle, until finally a
perfect tent is formed with the tree
as center. pole, and a door left on
| one side. The twigs that form the
roof are entwined one with another,
and as they have been selected from
an orchid that continues TO grow,
the roof becomes watertight. The
bird carefully clears away all mate
rial from the front Of the cottage, so
that it is soon lawn of green grass,
and about this the feathcrcd gard
ener arranges flowers and shells of
various kinds, removing the former
every day as they fade and supply
ing others. the faded ones being
carefully carried and deposited in a
heap behind the house. Here the
courtship and games of the bird,
| which is about the size OF the robin,
are carried ON, and it is safe to say
that nothing more remarkable is
known in the bird creation.
THE HoRNBILL A DEVOTED HUSBAND.
The domestic life Of the hornbill
is curious one. What the court
ship is is not known. but when the
time for raising brood comes the
female seeks out hollow tree, takes
her place in the hole and is ilnmedi-
ately walled up and imprisoned by
her mate. This he docs by bring
ing mud and other refuse in his bill
and gradually heaping it up until
| the hole is almost closed, only q
small orifice being left, through
which the female thrusts her bill, or
the point of it, to secure her food,
which her mate does not neglect to
bring. In fact, he is so attentive
and she so ravenous that he often
dies from starvation, hard work and
exposure, his dead body being found
at the foot of the tree. This impris-
onment is kept up until the young
brood is hatched and able to leave,
when the old bird breaks down the
partition and comes oat in a decid
edly rusty state. This peculiarity
is found in many genera Of this fam
lily.
In the water birds we find many
curious courtships, especially in The
albatross, that is most devoted
lover and mate. Even when the f'e-
male is on the nest he will stand by,
and go through the most extraya-
CANT motions and uttering curious
shrieks, which sound like laughter,
in return for which the female gently
caresses him with her bill. The
nest of this bird resembles that of
the hamingoes. being about two feet
in height and ten inches in diameter.
the top falling over the edges. so
that when deserted by the birds
they form convenient seats. AMI are
so used by sailors who hunt the
bird to secure the leg bones for pipe
stems.